4:2 What is meant by adding to or diminishing from God’s commands? These laws were the word of God, and they were complete. How could any human being, with limited wisdom and knowledge, edit God’s perfect laws? To add to the laws would make them a burden; to subtract from the laws would make them incomplete. Thus the laws were to remain unchanged. To presume to make changes in God’s law is to assume a position of authority over God who gave the laws (Matthew 5:17-19; 15:3-9; Revelation 22:18, 19). The religious leaders at the time of Christ did exactly this; they elevated their own laws to the same level as God’s. Jesus rebuked them for this (Matthew 23:1-4).
4:8 Do the laws God gave to the Israelites still apply to Christians today? God’s laws are designed to guide all people toward lifestyles that are healthy, upright, and devoted to God. Their purpose was to point out sin (or potential sin) and show the proper way to deal with that sin. The Ten Commandments, the heart of God’s law, are just as applicable today as they were 3,000 years ago because they proclaim a lifestyle endorsed by God. They are the perfect expression of who God is and how he wants people to live.
But God gave other laws besides the Ten Commandments. Are these just as important? God never issued a law that didn’t have a purpose. However, many of the laws we read in the Pentateuch were directed specifically to people of that time and culture. Although a specific law may not apply to us, the timeless truth or principle behind the law does.
For example, Christians do not practice animal sacrifice in worship. However, the principles behind the sacrifices—forgiveness for sin and thankfulness to God—still apply. The sacrifices pointed to the ultimate sacrifice made for us by Jesus Christ. The New Testament says that with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Old Testament laws were fulfilled. This means that while the Old Testament laws help us recognize our sins and correct our wrongdoings, it is Jesus Christ who takes our sins away. Jesus is now our primary example to follow because he alone perfectly obeyed the law and modeled its true intent.
4:9 Moses wanted to make sure that the people did not forget all they had seen God do, so he urged parents to teach their children about God’s great miracles. This helped parents remember God’s faithfulness and provided the means for passing on from one generation to the next the stories recounting God’s great acts. It is easy to forget the wonderful ways God has worked in the lives of his people. But you can remember God’s great acts of faithfulness by telling your children, friends, or associates what you have seen him do.
4:19 God was not excusing the other nations for their idol worship. He was simply saying that while judgment might be delayed for those other nations, it would be swift and complete for Israel because Israel knew God’s laws. We must remember that idol worship was not just keeping statues around the house—harmless lumps of clay, wood, or iron. It was the commitment to the other evil qualities and practices the idol represented (such as murder, prostitution, cruelty in war, or self-centeredness). When the strengths and attributes of powerful humans or animals are revered or the cycles of nature are honored without reference to God who created them, this is idolatry. Because God had so clearly revealed himself in Israel’s history, the Israelites had no excuse for worshiping any person or power but the one true God.
4:24 God is a consuming fire. Because he is morally perfect, he hates sin and cannot accept those who practice it. Moses’ sin kept him from entering the Promised Land, and no sacrifice could remove that judgment. Sin kept us from entering God’s presence, but Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin and removed God’s judgment forever by his death. Trusting in Jesus Christ will save you from God’s anger and allow you to begin a personal relationship with him.
4:24 Jealousy is a demand for someone else’s exclusive affection or loyalty. Some jealousy is bad. It is destructive for a person to get upset when his or her spouse talks to someone of the opposite sex. But other jealousy is good. It is right for a man to demand that his wife treat him, and only him, as her husband. Usually we use the word jealousy only for the bad reaction. But God’s kind of jealousy is appropriate and good. He is defending his word and guarding his high honor. He makes a strong, exclusive demand on us: We must treat only the Lord—and no one else in all the universe—as God.
4:25-28 This warning eventually came true. Time and again, the Israelites turned from God; but God, in his great patience, gave them time to recognize their wrongs and return to him. Finally God’s patience was spent, so he allowed the Israelites to be captured and carried off to foreign lands. The warnings in the book of Deuteronomy were clear enough to help the Israelites, but they failed to heed them. A clear warning is not enough to make people obey—they need to take God’s warnings to heart.
4:29 Do you want to know God? God promised the Israelites that they would find him when they searched with all their hearts and souls. God is knowable and wants to be known—but we have to want to know him. Acts of service and worship must be accompanied by sincere devotion of the heart. As Hebrews 11:6 says, “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” God will reward those who pursue a relationship with him.
4:40 Was Israel guaranteed prosperity for obeying God’s laws? Yes—but we have to look carefully at what that means. God’s laws were designed to make his chosen nation devout, healthy, just, and merciful. When the people followed those laws, they prospered. This does not mean, however, that no sickness, no sadness, and no misunderstandings existed among them. Rather, it means that as a nation they prospered and that individuals’ problems were handled as fairly as possible. Today God’s promise of prosperity—his constant presence, comfort, and the resources to live as we should—extends to all believers. We will face trials; Jesus told us that. But we will avoid the misery that directly results from intentional sin, and we will know that a great treasure awaits us in heaven.